Toilet trouble.. Need input

[kamiem]

ok.. so my shorkie was sick a couple weeks ago with diarreah. I treated him with meds and he is fine now.. but ever since he has been sick he started leaking mucous from him anus. Its always there. I have to consistnaley wipe his bottom with baby wipes.. Also after he has a bowel movement the poop stays on him bottom. Before he was sick this never occured. I shave his bottom so that there is no hair around the anus so he wont get consiptated. Has anyone else noticed that there shorkie has this problem?? Sorry this is such a gross topic for everyone!

[shorkiejem]

Couple of things I can think of.

Kam, sometimes when anal glands are too full they will secrete a smelly discharged mucous.  And brownish in color.  If that's the case the vet or yourself if you know how can express them. 
If they are not expressed, much more serious complications can occur requiring surgery.  And what is known as a blow out.  Really nasty and painful for a dog.

Also, the dog may have a form of blockage where he isn't passing all the stool.  Some stool that is soft will bypass the blockage but will also show mucus.

Next, lower irritation or colitis, 2nd being more common.  If the dog is continuing to have problems he may be getting too much of a fat content.  It might eventually call for him to be placed on a Prescription diet, sold in Vets office.
This is just some ideas that came to my mind.

[kamiem]

Wow, Thanks your very knowlagable!!! i appreciate it. He has had the glands emptied just 2 weeks ago and I have gotten it done before that everytime i take him to the groomer, so thats not the prob. I have been feeding him IAMs and was scared to change the diet because he had been so sick. But this is something I think i will do. Not sure what to put him on but i wil do some research! Thanks again

[shorkiejem]

kam, changing his food MUST be a slow process or you will have a sick pup whose gastro tract will be truly messed up.  We cannot give these dogs high fat and high protein foods.  Their are 6 star rated dog foods that we can't feed to them because of just that.  The Yorkie side have a lot of problems with it.

Ingredients in dog food must be known.  Example, is the meat quantity enough?  Or too grainy?  Always go by the first 5 ingredients on the bag of dog food. The more that is listed in the first 5 the better  That means that there is more meat than anything else.  The top 5 make up most of the dog food..  Iams is NOT a good dog food.  Corn is listed as a 2nd ingredient in Iams which means there is a whole lot of corn in it.  Corn is known to cause allergies in dogs.  And dogs do not digest it easily.  Heck, people ingest corn and express it the same way, lol.  Corn is grain.  Grain is for cows not dogs.

When you decide to change food, and I hope you do, this is how you change it over.
Especially because this is a small breed it takes a little longer.

Day 1. 3/4 of his regular food he is presently eating and 1/4 of the new food.  I don't mean 3/4 of cup.
Continue this for 3 days
Day 4. 1/2 his old food 1/2 his new...for 3 days

Day 8.  1/4 old dog food 3/4 new....for 3 days, then 100 percent of the new food.  If you notice his stools are too soft or watery then back up and hold it for a couple more days before advancing.

This is the very best link to find good dog food.  Skip the 6 star, too high in fat and protein and they state their concerns about that for small breeds.  Go to the 5 maybe 4 star foods.  That's your best bet.
Good luck and keep us posted.  Read their opinions on the dog foods.  Iams is in there and they don't recommend  it either and they tell you why.
Here's the link:

http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/

[Westyns~Daddy]

Shorkiejam

Just wanted to say that I'm so glad ur on this forum,u are so informative and so wise when it comes to dog information,I'm sure everyone appreciates ur wisdom!u should write a book or something I know I would buy it!!thank u for everything!

[Mai Tai]

We do love shorkiejem here.  I have a question too shorkiejem.  I took Mai Tai for a walk the other day with Mo, and after about 20 mins (mind you, we usually walk an hour), he kept laying in the grass on his side.  It was warmer than usual, but not over 80.  I have read that Shih-tzu's do not do well in the heat because of the pushed in nose and double coat, but I thought they were referring to 85 and above.  I had to pick Mai Tai up and carry him to get him home and actually stopped at a neighbors for water, which he drank a little of and then proceeded to run all over her yard to play.  As soon as I headed for home again, he pulled the same laying down stuff again.  Poor Mo did not know what to do and kept licking Mai Tai's nose and tongue as if to give him water....LOL.  At home, Mai Tai was fine.  The vet says he may have been too hot, but he has walked far longer in warmer weather last year.  What do you think?  Is he just getting lazy now he is almost 2, or does it warrant a check up for lyme, etc.  I am waiting to see how he is over the next few days.  Today he was fine.  Maybe he just wants me to carry him...LOL.

[shorkiejem]

oh my goodness, please don't give me that much credit.  You have to understand that most of my experience is from Golden Retrievers and the Shorkie is such a different breed..  I learned a lot over the years from vets and other breeders and then applied what I learned to my own breed.  And it took years to learn the Golden Breed.  Do I consider myself a expert?  In the Golden Breed, yes.  Any other breed, heck NO!!!  And so far from it.

I try to answer questions only with "possible" not "this is what it is".  So please don't think that I'm answering with definite answers, I'm not.  I'm only thinking possibilities. A vet is the one to give the accurate answer.  When in doubt, call the vet, don't rely on someone you meet on the internet.

Westyn, I'd write a book on breeding and whelping only.  But I'm not going to write any book.  Far more knowledgable people out there than me.

Mai, was he panting through his mouth?  Lymes disease doesn't pick its time to hit.  For example its not going to say, lay down here, you're sick with Lymes but when you get home you can play.  Know what I mean?  Lymes is Lymes 24-7.  God days and bad.  Sounds to me that he wasn't being lazy, maybe he was enjoying himself and didn't want to go home?  The reason I think that's possible is because  he was playing at your neighbors and then playing at home.  He could have been warm and grass can be very cool to them.  We do have to watch our fur babies in warm weather though.  Only because they don't know their limit sometimes.

[Mai Tai]

Don't worry Shorkie, we know you are not a vet.  I know how you feel as I studied pre-med, but never went on to be a dr or nurse.  This does not matter to my family and friends though who ALWAYS call me for medical advice.  I tell them, "I am not a doctor, and don't play one on TV."  I was thinking he might have just been enjoying the cool grass too, but was wondering about Lyme because he had been sick earlier in the month, as well as a little more tired lately.  I know that in humans, Lyme symptoms can come and go depending on your resistance or stress that day, though they gradually get worse.  Anyway, I just know you know more than I know...LOL.  Thanks so much for the advice.  If I see it again, and am worried, I will go to the vet. 

[shorkiejem]

BTW Lyme vaccine is not 100 percent guaranteed. Also once you get your dog a Lyme Vaccine they will always test positive which is why I never had it given to my dogs.  So if you give the vaccine to the dog and a year from now she/he shows symptoms of Lymes, forget testing her.  She'll show positive and it may not really be Lymes that she has.  Once given, you'll never know.

[Mai Tai]

I know, but can't they test the titer to see if a case is active or if it is positive from a vaccination?  That is what they do in humans. 

[kamiem]

OK.. Ive been seriouly researching the dog food all day online and i still dont know what one to get. Ive read a lot of alarming things!! Im so confused. i have looked at the dog food anaylisis web site you gave me and Im still not sure which one to get. Can someone please tell me which one to choose. I know he needs to go off the IAMS right away! (but  i will taper it like you suggested)

[kamiem]

Do you guys think this food will be good for him??

http://www.vetschoice.com/productinfo.php?productID=1000022

in case the website link did not work.. its called Holistic Health Extension
The protien is 24%
Fat 18%

[shorkiejem]

Yes It's a good decent food.

Hey Mai, I believe there is a titer test for Lymes but here's the thing.  Remember once vaccinated they will ALWAYS test positive for Lymes.  Given that, the titer tests, I think, are suppose to be over 30 before any treatment begins.  But I thought I read somewhere that vets are treating the dog as symptoms appear.  Because there have been too many false positives.  Ask your vet because I'm not really sure about it all.  I've been real fortunate that I never had a dog with it.  I know Lymes is a difficult disease to study.  I believe the signs of Lyme in dogs, most common was lameness?  Lack of appetite and I would think enlarged lymphs?  Sheesh, just not all that sure about this crazy disease.  I think it's complicated enough for people let alone our dogs.  People can talk, they can say what hurts, with dogs we can only follow their body language.
So bottom line.....I don't know

[Mai Tai]

Unfortunately, my sister's dog has Lymes, so we have some experience with it, though many cases differ.  She did not know her dog had it until she actually collapsed on the street in Manhattan. She had been tired and lacked appetite for about 4 days and she had a vet appointment scheduled, but the dog collapsed before the visit.  Roxy (the cockapoo) needed a blood transfusion.  It seemed the Lymes had caused an over active immune response and her immune systerm attacked her own red blood cells.  Well two weeks, and three thousand dollars later, she was better, but now must live on prednisone, and hypoallergenic foods.  Her health has never been the same.  The prednisone makes her eat too much, pee too much, and get very heavy.  Her breathing is more labored and she does not have much energy.  It is sad.  My sister says if she has a relapse, she will probably put her to sleep.  She is about 9 now, and I think a relapse would really make her quality of life very low.  Sad.  She is a sweet dog.  I am sure Lymes looks different in other dogs as the doctor said this was not a typical case.

[kamiem]

well the dog food isnt a bad price but the shipping is $30.00. Im going to have to figure something else out